Museums and Private collectionsMuseums and Private collections

The Amazing Supercars Road Trip in Italy’s Motor Valley

by /// January 10, 2024
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

72 h

Time
72 h

SHARE

72 h

Time
72 h

SHARE

Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagani, De Tomaso, Bugatti are some of the most known Car Brands that made Modena famous all around the world.

It is in Modena that some of the most popular automotive industries in the world have their headquarters, in this unique land that has been able to combine and mix technical know-how, Italian creativity, and environmental conditions, creating cars that are still a recognizable symbol of style, luxury and speed.

A piece of land that can be visited in a couple of days and where the best of sports cars and Italian Supercars are made. A journey inside a territory, mainly in the Modena area, where you can experience the speed and Italian design, without forgetting the excellent culinary culture of the area.

But let’s start the journey through the Emilia-Romagna’s Motor Valley, the land where speed was born.

La mappa della MotorValley dell'Emilia-Romagna

Maranello: the Ferrari headquarters

The first stop of our itinerary is Maranello, the historic headquarters of Ferrari and home to both the Ferrari factory, the Racing Team and the Museum of the brand: a place to visit for any enthusiast.

The Ferrari Museum collects and preserves the history of the brand and consists of a permanent section and a temporary exhibition area.

The Museum was conceived as a sensorial experience, in which, in addition to admiring the extraordinary cars that are part of the brand’s history, you can listen to the sounds of the various Ferrari engines, make a real Formula 1 pit-stop, and drive a Ferrari Racing thanks to a driving simulator, very similar to those where pro pilots are trained.

If you intend to do the full tour, we suggest you to buy the combined ticket for the Ferrari Museum and the Casa Enzo Ferrari Museum which at a discounted price will give you the opportunity to visit the brand new and futuristic Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari in Modena.

The experience ends with the possibility of making a shuttle ride in the Ferrari factory and on the Fiorano circuit.

We also recommend to all the fans to visit the many car rentals that are located around the museum which, with low fares, offer the possibility of driving a real Ferrari through the winding roads around Maranello, the same in which cars and prototypes are tested.

Info and tickets: www.ferrari.com

Maranello (MO) | Museo Ferrari
Maranello (MO) – Museum Ferrari Maranello

The Panini Collection: the real history of Maserati

On the road from Maranello to Modena, there is a place that combines the best of local culinary culture with the history of Italian motoring.

In fact, in Colretto there is the Fattoria Hombre that joins together a cheese factory producing the renowned Parmigiano Reggiano with one of the most interesting automotive collections in the whole province of Modena: the Maserati collection by Umberto Panini.

Do not let appearences fool you: even if it looks like a farm, here you are in front of the Official Maserati Collection purchased by the Panini Family before the historic brand was brought back in vogue from the collaboration with the FCA brand.

It is a fundamental stop for all fans of Italian Supercars: through the visit you can discover how D.O.P organic Parmigiano Reggiano is made and also admire the Umberto Panini Car Collection.

Info and tickets: www.paninimotormuseum.it

Modena (MO) | Collezione Umberto Panini
Modena (MO) | The Panini Collection

Modena: UNESCO and culinary tradition

It is impossible to plan an itinerary within Emilia Romagna’s Motor Valley without thinking to stop and enjoy the beauties and the cuisine of Modena.

Among the most renowned in Emilia Romagna, the Modena cuisine offers many of the most famous products of Emilia Romagna: Balsamic Vinegar, Lambrusco, Parmigiano Reggiano, Tortellini.

We suggest you stop in the beautiful historical center of the city of Modena, especially in the square from which you can see the Modena Cathedral and the Ghirlandina tower, the symbol of the city.

From there you can go for a stroll in the center, with its narrow streets and the typical porticoes adorning many of the towns of Emilia Romagna.

Not far from the central square is the historic Albinelli Market, with stands selling the best products of the area.

The Albinelli Market, in addition to the beauty of its interior spaces, is also a good representation of Italian culinary habits, offering the possibility to shop and choose local products directly from the stands of the market.

Museo Enzo Ferrari

Accessible at a reduced price with the combined ticket of the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, the Enzo Ferrari Museum was inaugurated in March 2012 at the behest of the Enzo Ferrari Foundation.In this place in the center of Modena, there are two distinct and complementary realities: the old Officina Meccanica Alfredo Ferrari, the architectural focal point of the entire museum area hosting the Ferrari engine collection, and the new exhibition gallery, the now famous aluminum “yellow bonnet” which surrounds the Officina.

It is a futuristic building of about 5,000 square metres, designed by architect Jan Kaplicky. Inside, its shape resembles that of a car engine.

For all those who, after having seen the Ferrari museums, have the desire to try on a real circuit, we point out the agreement that allows you to access the Modena Circuit with your own vehicle  and drive for 15 minutes with a discounted rate of only 35 euros.

Info and tickets: www.ferrari.com

Enzo Ferrari Museum, Modena | Photo © Museo Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Ferrari Museum (Modena) | Photo © Museo Enzo Ferrari

The Maserati

A few hundred meters from the Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena, you can find the headquarters of another major automotive brand of the Emilia-Romagna’s Motor Valley: the Maserati.

This brand has moved to the headquarters of Viale Ciro Menotti in Modena back in 1930, following the acquisition of the company by the Modena entrepreneur Adolfo Orsi.

The Maserati Showroom houses the cars currently in production, a modern car configurator, a historical diorama, and the “loop”, the semi-suspended ring designed by famous architect Ron Arad.

In addition to the Showroom visit, it is possible to book a factory tour lasting approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, including a visit to the Maserati GranCabrio and GranTurismo assembly line and the test and finish areas.

The tours cost 30 euros per person and are activated upon reaching a minimum of 4 participants, while they are free for customers that already possess a Maserati.

Info and tickets: maseratifactorytour.modenatur.it

Pagani: an Argentinian wind blowing in Emilia-Romagna

The next stop is the town of Castelfranco Emilia, birthplace of tortellini and the Pagani car factory.

This is where Horacio Pagani decided to set up his production of sports cars in the 90s, combining the culture and design of Emilia Romagna with the proud Argentinean character of its founder.

Pagani Automobili is pleased to receive visitors at its atelier in San Cesario Sul Panaro (Province of Modena) and offers guided tours of both the showroom and the production area.

A unique, engaging experience that offers the opportunity to admire the cars produced by one of the most famous brands in the world and visit the setting where they are built.

Info and tickets: www.pagani.com

Factory Tour Pagani
Factory Tour Pagani | Photo © Temperidis

The Lamborghini Factory

A dozen kilometers to the north of Castelfranco Emilia is the town Sant’Agata Bolognese, the birthplace of Lamborghini Automobili, and home to the Official Museum of the brand (which was renovated in 2016 with an expansion of the pre-existing collection and the addition of new exhibitions).

The Museum is a small collection of some fo the most famous cars in the history of the brand: from historical models like Miura and Countach to the more recent ones like Huracán, Aventador, and the brand new SUV Urus.

For hardcore fans, the Museum staff also offers, upon reservation, the opportunity to visit the assembly lines of the cars currently in production, a way to experience firsthand the passion with which the most desired cars ever are built.

The visit to the Lamborghini production lines includes the visit to the historic entrance, the central corridor of the factory with an overview of the Huracán line, the visit to the V12 engine line, the trim department, the Aventador assembly line, and the visit of the historical collection.

Info and tickets: www.ticketlandia.com

Sant'Agata Bolognese (Modena) | Lamborghini Factory
Sant’Agata Bolognese (Modena) | Lamborghini Factory

Ferruccio Lamborghini Museum - The Family House

The Ferruccio Lamborghini Museum was inaugurated in 2014 in the small village of Funo di Argelato, in the province of Bologna. It is the second of the Lamborghini museums in Emilia Romagna: while the Museum in Sant’Agata Bolognese represents the exhibition space of the brand, the Funo’s Museum is the space in which the Lamborghini family has collected the historical cars that belonged to Ferrucio Lamborghini.Entirely redesigned by Tonino Lamborghini, son of Ferruccio, the Museum is today a great monument to the memory of the father of the brand, and it collects its most important mechanical creations along with the most significant photos of the family archive with the intent of enhancing and giving depth to the figure of Ferruccio.

The Lamborghini factories don’t only produce Super Cars, but also tractors, boat engines, Formula 1 cars, and even the prototype for a helicopter…

Info and tickets: www.museolamborghini.com

Ferruccio Lamborghini Museum
Ferruccio Lamborghini Museum

Bugatti: The Blue factory

Going back towards Modena, the last stop is the village of Campogalliano, home of the famous Bugatti house.

Although Bugatti was a French brand in origin, in 1987 entrepreneur and financial expert Romano Artioli acquired the rights for the production of cars.

After considering the idea of ​​recreating the company in France, he founded a new Italian company called Bugatti Automobili SpA with a factory in Campogalliano, designed by architect Giampaolo Benedini, in order to attract highly skilled workers from the Modena area.

Unfortunately, in 1995 the Bugatti Automobili declared bankruptcy: the financial difficulties forced Artioli to sell the industry and to abandon his dreams of glory.

However, before that, he still managed to create a series of models such as the accessory version of the EB 110 and the legendary Lotus Elise (at that time the Bugatti brand was also the owner of the Lotus brand), named after Artioli’s daughter, Elisa.

Today the Blue factory, as it is called in jargon, is an extraordinary space of industrial archeology, essential destination for the brand lovers.

It is entirely open to visitors thanks the old caretaker who today accompanies visitors, illustrating both the history and the spaces of the complex.

Info and booking: www.facebook.com/BugattiCampogalliano/

Bugatti con Michael Schumacher | Foto Bugatti Campogalliano

Author

Walter Manni

Explorer and Adventurer: loves sailing the oceans, climbing the highest mountains and surfing on the waves of the web

You may also like

This article has 2 comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *